Replace Cummins heater hose to floor heater?

[GaryTheRock]

I bought a Freightliner 30 passenger shuttle bus with a Cummins engine that overheated because a hot water hose from the engine, that goes to the floor heater, leaked. Apparently the repair shop, when this happened last time cut the hose and spliced in a new section when what they should have done was replace it from the engine all the way to the compartment heater on the bus floor.
Does anyone know how to get to and replace that hose? It seems like it goes through a place that is difficult to get to. I was wondering if I can unbolt the heater from the floor and pull it all the way to the engine compartment. It's a front engine with the cowling next to the drivers seat.
I suspect the repair shop didn't replace it because it's not easy to do.

 

[Fyrsail]

The heater hoses run down the driver side of the vehicle behind a 45 degree cowling at the floor, if your near Indy I have one for you

 

[arod79sae]

I had something similar happen to me . Caused a nice rust line all the way back on the bus. Yay . I removed the heater altogether and connected the lines together near the driver seat. Rather not deal with it again.

 

[GaryTheRock]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. Was the rust line under the bus or underneath?
I've been procrastinating until the weather gets a bit cooler. Still in the 80s and high humidity most of the time near Atlanta.
I need to jack up the front of the bus to get a better look. Unless I can pull the hose through from the heater on the floor all the way to the engine by unfastening the heater I'm going to have to get better access from underneath.

 

[GaryTheRock]

Until I can get the time to jack up the bus and get a closer look I won't make good progress. I was wishing I could pull it to the engine without jacking the bus up. Nothing is ever easy, is it?
I guess I need to get under there anyway to put the driveshaft brake back up they took off when towing it to my place.
Even tough I'm anxious to get the leak fixed and get the motor running it's a low priority, and more so until it gets cooler.

 

[GaryTheRock]

Hose Replacement Update

Since my last post I did replace both hoses with Green Stripe hose, GATES 28447 (28441) Heater Hose. I bought 50 feet which I was guessing to be way too long but it isn't.
It's not perfectly complete yet, I have to take out the slack, the hoses are both a few feet too long, and push both through the floor to the heater.
I did connect the old hose to the new hose, tape over the pipe clamp, and slowly worked it from the heater side in the back up to the engine. Can't understand why one of them goes way forward towards the engine radiator, loops back and connects about half way back to a, "Y" going to the engine, but I followed the same routing.
Wondering if there are other hoses that size that need replacing.
Next: Finish the last two connections, fill with antifreeze, check for leaks, and then try to start the engine that hasn't run in several years. Planning on using starting fluid but first need to verify it doesn't have the heater grid my 1992 Dodge Cummins had, which said not to use starting fluid as it will immediately explode when the key is turned, heating up the grid.

 

[BlackJohn]

I really have to ask why you taped over the hose clamps on the new hose?

How will you see a leak and how will you re-tighten them when the time comes, which should be a regular maintenance item? The tape may not come off to easily once it gets baked on the clamps.


John

 

[GaryTheRock]

Tape the clamps ... temporary

The tape was temporary and removed along with the clamps and tube connecting old to new hose once the hose was all the way through, using the old hose like a fish tape, inch by inch, push the back and pull the front when I could reach both.
One problem with pulling the new hose was the Under Vehicle Lift, a large, wide rectangular box across the whole width of the bus frame, blocking access to where the tubing needed to go.
I knew from the beginning it would be very difficult to thread a new hose through without using the old one to do it. The fact is I didn't know where either hose connected to the engine until I got the old hose pulled up far enough.

 

[Brad_SwiftFur]

I wouldn't use starting fluid at all the first couple times, regardless what engine it has. 5.9 Cummins? Even in the buses and trucks, I believe they also use the heater grids similar to (if not identical) to the Dodge counterparts. 8.3 Cummins? I'm not sure.

 

[GaryTheRock]

Bus VS Pickup

I really don't know for sure what the bus has for any kind of engine heater, other than the 110V block heater. I am sure it's a 24 valve Cummins, and the county sold it to me with the description of Cummins 5.9 Diesel engine.
I do know my pickup had a light on the dash for a few minutes for the grid to heat. I didn't see any kind of light like that in the bus. If there's some provision to turn some kind of heater on I didn't see it.

 

[Tango-SKO]

Never use starting fluid on any engine with a grid (intake) heater. It makes, how you say in your country...a beeg kaboom.

 

[Brad_SwiftFur]

I'm reasonably sure Cummins uses the heater grid in the buses (someone correct me if I'm wrong), I'm betting there is (or at least was) probably a label saying to never use starting fluids.

 

[Tango-SKO]

Not all Cummins have a grid heater. Mine does not. Easy to tell what with wires going to & from a "spacer" looking thing on the intake.


Looks like this...


https://www.thoroughbreddiesel.com/...MIms-ihZ_f3gIVmYrICh06CwRAEAQYASABEgIoefD_BwE

 

[GaryTheRock]

Did get it started

I did look and determine I had no grid heater. Since there was no grid heater I did use starter fluid.
I ran through two whole cans of the cheaper Walmart starter fluid with no luck. I bought the Prestone starter fluid and did get the bus started.
The first time I tried I burned out the starter and had to replace that. After that I didn't run it too long and waited a significant time between tries, which also gave time for the battery to recharge.
After quite a few tries I could finally tell it was trying to start. Sure enough, a handful of tries later it started right up. Unlike an 18 wheeler tractor I helped start I didn't need to run it long for it to run steady. The 18 wheeler I let off the pedal after a few minutes and it stalled.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Gasoline in a spray bottle is better for a diesel than either.
Either will make a diesel addicted if used a lot and you will have to do it every start? After the used a lot part.
Both are dangerous but if you leave the filter on and spray the filter it gives you a little more time cause it migrates with airflow/suction as turn the engine .
Not a direct hit to the glow plugs or whatever you have.
The spray/squirt bottles are only a few dollars at any dollar style store.
A little gas.
And get your engine running

 

[o1marc]

Gasoline in a spray bottle is better for a diesel than either.
Either will make a diesel addicted if used a lot and you will have to do it every start? After the used a lot part.
Both are dangerous but if you leave the filter on and spray the filter it gives you a little more time cause it migrates with airflow/suction as turn the engine .
Not a direct hit to the glow plugs or whatever you have.
The spray/squirt bottles are only a few dollars at any dollar style store.
A little gas.
And get your engine running

Where do you spray the gas on a DT466E?

 

[cadillackid]

I always thought anything with a grid heater is dangerous for any starting aid.. at least with glow plugs the fire occurs in the cylinder.. with a grid heater the potential for ignition in the intake is high.. I would think on a 466E you unplug the grid heater and spray it into the intake .. on my 360 (mechanical) I didnt have great luck getting it through the filter.. since i was by myself I took the pipe loose just past the filter and sprayed it in there..

 

[GaryTheRock]

Grid Heaters

Personally I consider it way too risky to spray anything into an engine with a live grid heater.
I now know how to recognize a grid heater on an engine, much thanks to a member in skoolies.
I expect to face the starting problem on my old 1992 Dodge pickup with a Cummins engine and a grid heater should I decide to drive it again.